Easy Solutions to Prevent & Treat Breakouts

1) For hormonal breakouts around your chin, mouth, and jawline take Zinc supplements, B vitamin complex, and L-Lysine. I know its alot but they do help!  Taking supplements on a regular basis is important for preventing, treating and maintaining healthy skin.  Zinc prevents hormone imbalances that can lead to breakouts, is essential for healthy tissue renewal.  B vitamins help maintain healthy skin, L-Lysine is a essential amino acid that supports cell growth, function and form proteins.  Also important for healthy skin.  Murad Pure Skin Clarifying Supplement hits all marks (except L-lysine) contains a great number of acne fighting ingredients as well as detoxifying the system.

2) Breakouts from makeup brushes or cosmetics.  Clean your brushes once a week in warm water, fragrance free anti-bacterial liquid hand soap and baking soda.  Soak this solution in a cup for 10-15 mintues.  Fragrance can irritate skin.  Air dry with bristles facing upward sitting in a cup.  "Acne Cosmetica" is simply clogged pores from cosmetics.  Check ingredients prior to buying, make sure they are actually "non-comedogenic" or "non-acnegenic".  I refer back to this list and research online prior to purchasing.  Become a Acne Detective with Zero Zits
Makeup primers with silicone/Dimethicone and Mac cosmetics WILL clog pores.

3) Talk on the phone, wear a headset or glasses/sunglasses? Clean it with alcohol after using it and prior to it coming into contact with your face.  You smash you face against your phone or headset, oil and bacteria smears on it, it sits there and smears back onto your face.  Alcohol wipes are great too.

4) Workout? Cleanse your face and body IMMEDIATELY after working out with Salicylic Acid (Murad Time Release Acne Cleanser, Benzoyl Peroxide (Acne Free Face Wash) or Triclosan  (Neostrata Antibacterial cleanser).  Sweat will clog pores.

5) Breakouts around hair line or from hair products. Hair products, conditioners and shampoos can easily clog pores.  Shampoo and conditioner must be rinsed out thoroughly in the shower. If you breakout on your face, back or chest wash your hair first, then cleanse your skin. Rinse, rinse, rinse!  This will prevent those products from causing breakouts.  Most hair products break me out so I just stick with aloe vera gel.  Products with oils, sillicones that are great for the hair, are not good for your skin. My rule is, if I cannot use it on my face, its not going in my hair.  You sweat and the product will run into your hairline causing clogged pores. I also refer back to the Zero Zits list when looking at hair products.

6) Launder clothes with a dye and scent free detergent.  This will prevent any irritation from towels and wash clothes and future breakouts.

7) Get an adequate amount of sleep each night.  When we sleep, our body regenerates and so does our skin.  If 8 hours is impossible, get at least 7 hours of sleep.

8) Huge inflamed pimple or CYST- ice it! Ice is anti-inflammatory.  Don't squeeze or pop it, this will damage tissue (leave extractions to a professional).  The ice will reduce the size and redness.  A secret weapon of mine is aspirin. Yes aspirin, crush aspirin with a spoon till finely ground up and add a few drops of water to make a paste.  Apply the paste with a q-tip to cyst or use as a face mask 1-2x week!  Leave on overnight for dramatic reduction of cysts.  Do not use this treatment if you are allergic to aspirin, willow bark, salicylic acid.   For day timed dab on some salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, sulfur or tea tree oil. Try Murad Spot Treatment with sulfur and/or Murad Acne Clarifying Mask as a spot treatment for pustules and papules.

9)  Change your pillow case every night.  Oil, debri, acne bacteria will breed on pillowcases causing clogged pores.